How To Write A Great Recommendation On Linkedin

Over the years, most of us have worked with fantastic colleagues, supervisors, and workers that we’d gladly recommend on LinkedIn (or anywhere else) if asked.

The problem is that sitting down and writing that suggestion always takes longer than you expect. What should you say to make your contact stand out while remaining authentic? Should you go into detail about every outstanding skill this individual possesses, or should you keep it short and sweet?
 

We consider the following questions to see how LinkedIn works; and right before we move to the steps on how to write a great recommendation on LinkedIn.

What Is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a website and a mobile app-based business, also, a job networking service which is based in the United States.

They launched the website on May 5, 2003, which is basically made use of for professional networking and career advancement, and let job seekers and employers publish CVs and various vacant positions.

What Is LinkedIn Recommendation?

A recommendation is an acknowledgment of your effort written by a LinkedIn user. You might ask your 1st-degree connections with whom you work or have worked for references. If a connection sends you a recommendation, you’ll receive a LinkedIn message from the sender.

You have the option to accept, reject, or request a revision of the recommendation.

By default, once you accept a recommendation from your connection, it becomes accessible to your network. You can choose to keep a recommendation you’ve accepted hidden.

You may also acknowledge your connections’ efforts by submitting a recommendation for them. If you receive a request for a recommendation, you have the option to decline it and are not obligated to answer.

If you write a recommendation and later change your mind, you can either amend or delete your advice. There is no limit to how many suggestions you can ask for or make. They can only request or give one suggestion per job, per member.

Read this: How To Write A Recommendation Letter For College

How Long Should LinkedIn Recommendation Be?

The maximum length of a LinkedIn recommendation is 3,000 characters, but you don’t have to use all of them. To avoid boring readers, keep your recommendation to two to three brief paragraphs.

What Do Recruiters Think Of LinkedIn Recommendation?

LinkedIn is quite useful to many recruiters. 89 percent of recruiters used the professional network to fill a post in 2013, according to data collected in 2013. The recommendations section of a potential job candidate is one thing that recruiters look at on LinkedIn.

A recommendation, unlike LinkedIn’s one-click skills recommendations, is a written statement of recommendation from a connection.

This written remark could provide vital insight into a job candidate’s abilities from the perspective of a recruiter. Not all recommendations, however, are made equal. 

Types of Linkedin Recommendations

#1. Fake Recommendations:

As the phrase goes, you can’t believe everything you read on the internet, and most recruiters recognize they can’t believe everything they see on LinkedIn. They know that “helpful” friends and family write some suggestions, so they’re likely to look into where the advice came from and whether it’s genuine.

A phony recommendation is easily detectable by most recruiters. They may question a job candidate about the dubious suggestions during the interview, or they may just dismiss the candidate. So making fakes isn’t worth the time or effort.
 

#2. Imprecise LinkedIn Recommendations: 

While some LinkedIn recommendations are excellent, some can be vague. “John was a delight to work with and got the job done,” for example.

This is a very positive recommendation, but it sounds like thousands of others, thus it loses its power in the end. It doesn’t tell the recruiter much about the job candidate’s abilities other than that he “got the job done,” which is usually the minimum requirement of a worker.

Recommendations that highlight particular accomplishments or how the individual has aided the organization/other individuals are much more valuable and provide prospective employers an idea of what the candidate could do for them.
 

#3. Excellent Recommendations:

Unique and thorough recommendations are what most recruiters search for on LinkedIn. For instance, suggestions that discuss a job prospect’s skills, how the job candidate interacted with coworkers, how the job candidate dealt with challenges at work, and so on.

Even better are recommendations that include examples. “John grew sales by 47 percent in one year,” for example, is far more effective than “John increased sales.”

While the quality of LinkedIn recommendations is significant, the source of those recommendations is also crucial. Five particular client referrals are worth over 20 broad recommendations from acquaintances.

In summary, LinkedIn endorsements are unlikely to take the place of reference checks soon. They do, however, give recruiters a more complete picture of a potential candidate.

As a result, you should constantly seek references from people with whom you have worked. You can be strategic and identify specific experiences or skills that you’d like them to emphasize.

Request that they quantify their ideas by providing concrete instances, as particular quantitative examples attract more attention than vague assertions.
 

Sample on How You Can Write A Great Recommendation On Linkedin

It should take this format: 
 

Greetings, [Mr./Mrs./Ms./To Whom it May Concern], I’m writing to recommend [complete name of person you’re referring] for [the reason for your recommendation]. Since [date], I’ve known [person you’re suggesting] as [capacity in which you’ve known the individual, e.g. “excellent buddy,” “coworker,” etc.].

How Many LinkedIn Recommendations Should One Have?

Some employers show that applicants with fewer than ten suggestions on their profiles would not be considered. Other employers are unconcerned. To be safe, I would advise anyone to start with at least five recommendations and work their way up from there.

Getting them will not harm you and will allow you to reconnect with former colleagues, clients, and partners. Two to three references from each job you’ve had are a good rule of thumb.

Read this: 30 Tips To Having A Better Linkedin Profile

What Is The Importance Of LinkedIn Recommendation?

LinkedIn recommendations are like professional references. They let people know other professionals like what you’ve done, have seen something you’ve accomplished, or are ready to put their name behind it. Recommendations can help you raise your profile dramatically.

How Do I Request For Recommendation On LinkedIn?

• You can begin from the top of your LinkedIn homepage, click the ‘‘Me’‘ icon.
• Select View profile from the menu.
• Scroll down to the section Recommendations and click Ask to be recommended.
• Check in Who do you want to ask? Where you’d find a field, then type the name of the connection you’d like to request a recommendation.

Are LinkedIn Recommendations Public?

When 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-degree connections are signed in to LinkedIn, the recommendations you receive are only accessible to them. The number of persons who have recommended you, as well as the maximum of two received recommendations, are displayed on your public profile.
 

Do LinkedIn Recommendations Expire?

Recommendations on LinkedIn can only be hidden or displayed, not erased. If a recommendation has vanished but the person who made it is still on LinkedIn, use the LinkedIn Help Center to get in touch with them.

Steps To Writing A Great Recommendation On LinkedIn

Step 1: Begin with a Killer Line

You want to start with a statement that grabs your audience’s attention and makes them want to read more. (After all, what good is a glowing recommendation if no one reads it from beginning to end?)
 

This line should, ideally, demonstrate straight away what a fantastic person you recommended is. Avoid statements like “one of the best” or “one of my favorite employees”—while not everyone will be the ultimate superlative, there are plenty of words and phrases that sound just as powerful but aren’t as qualified.
 

Such as:
 

“You don’t come across remarkable talents like Mike too often.”
 

“Few people get the chance to work for a boss who is also a coach and mentor, but I did when I worked for Susan.”
 

“When I think about David, the phrase that pops up my mind is ‘extremely efficient.'”

Step 2: Give a Brief Description of Your Relationship

Next, offer the reader some background on how you know the person, such as your reporting relationship, projects you’ve worked on together, and how long you’ve known each other. While you don’t have to provide all the information (LinkedIn will display the company name and both of your work titles on your recommendation), it’s crucial to explain why you’re qualified to suggest. (Of course, mention that you had a good working relationship!)
 

Such as: 
 

“I had the pleasure of working with David at the Jack Company for two years, where we partnered on several project teams.”
 

“After seeing Carrie’s web portfolio, I engaged her as a freelance designer in 2011, and she’s produced six perfect projects for me since then.”
 

“For just over a year, Mark expertly performed the function of social media coordinator for my company’s marketing team.”
 

Step 3: Describe a Unique Characteristic.

If you’re suggesting someone, chances are you think he or she is intelligent, competent, organized, pleasant to work with, and so on. As a result, there’s no need to use your recommendation’s limited characters to explain the obvious.
 

Instead, focus your recommendation on one or two things this individual does better than anybody else—or that really stand out to you above others. You might also inquire if there is anything specific the person would like to discuss: If she was your executive assistant but is now applying for her first management position, she will most likely want you to emphasize her experience managing volunteers rather than her organizational skills.
 

Such as:
 

“Kelly’s exceptional ability to manage even the most extremely rigid clients specifically pleased me.” It takes years for customer service experts to learn such expertise, but it looked like an effortless function for her to perform.”
 

“Fred’s ability to control a space and bring people on board with ideas—even those who were initially on completely opposite pages—was always absolutely incredible to me.”
 

“Matt’s ability to manage many projects was beyond anything I’d ever seen before, and it made a significant impact on our team’s productivity.”
 

Step 4: Incorporate a Personal Touch

Let’s face it: Everyone wants to hire someone who is not just capable, but also pleasant to work with. So, if you have any insight into what it’s like to work with this person or a nugget about his or her personality, please do so! (Just keep remembering who you’re talking to.)
 

Such as:

“Sophie prepared the best office happy hours ever!” may not sit well with her future bosses.)
 

“Oh, and she always ensured our Monday morning staff meetings included bagels and coffee,” for instance. What an especially amazing way to energize a team!”
 

“And in the office softball league, we still miss her!”
 

“Annie made sure that everyone left a meeting with a grin, no matter how tense it was.”

 

Step 5: Conclude with a strong recommendation

Finally, ending your suggestion with a phrase stating that you offer your contact a thumbs up is always a good idea. You don’t have to do much here—keep it short, sweet, and to-the-point.
 

Such as:

“Allison would be a valuable member of any team.”
 

“Steve deserves my most profound recommendation as a group member or a leader.”
 

“Having Michelle as a manager would be a dream come true for any employee.”

Few Instances Putting Words Of Recommendation Together
 

Here’s a brief example of how to put it all together (and a template if you’re short on time!).
 

“When I think about [name], the phrase that springs to mind is [descriptive phrase].” I’ve known [name] for [period], during which [description of your professional relationship]. Above all, [name’s] ability to [describe what makes a person truly unique] amazed me. And then there’s his or her [personality trait]. [Name] is a valuable asset for any work requiring [1-2 abilities required for the position] and comes highly recommended by me.”

Conclusion

LinkedIn is a great platform for career and business recommendations, which is why you should sign up.

Signing up is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your professional digital presence, find better job opportunities, and meet people with similar interests who could later become colleagues, employers, or friends.

In addition, I hope this article gives you an idea of how you can write a great recommendation on linkedin.
 

References

• The muse – Writing guide
• Mktoolboxsuite – Questions
• Undercover recruiter – recommendations

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